Suction cleaner



P. DADDEO SUCTIQN CLEANER Filed June 26. 1923' INVENTOR J7 7 '7 Ara; MA,f iv A .ORNEY Patented July 12, 1927.

'5 UNITED. STATES.

I r 1,635,821 PATENT OFFICE.

rAsoUA E DADDIO, or NEW YORK, n. Y.

SUCTION CLEANER.

Application filed June 26,1923. ScriaI'No. 647,896.

My invention relates to suction or vacuum cleaners of the type in whichthe apparatus is wheeled or pushed by hand over the surface to becleaned, and is. thereby caused to create its own power for actuatingthe suction producing means, and the improvements are particularlyadapted to sweepers for cleaning floors or floor-coverings, though itcan be applied otherwise. my invention are to provide a simple, lightweight structure which isdurable and not easily gotten out of order, andwhich is compact. and comparatively small in size, and yet will producea strong suction for drawing in the dust and foreign pieces of material;

The structure comprises gearing intermediate the sustaining or groundwheels and the suction creatingmeans, for multiplying the speed ofactionof said means, with means for automatically connecting the drivinggearing with said suction creating means,

when said wheels are turned forwardly by the forward movement oftheapparatus 5 over the surface to becleaned, and to immediatelydisconnect'the gearingrwhen tne ground-Wheels come to rest or are turnedbackwardly in the backward movementof 1 the apparatus, at the same timepermltting said suction creating means to continue to.

cated by line 44-4, in Fig. 3. 5o

' 1 plane indicated by Fig. 3, shows a vertical sectional view of thesame the plane ofthesection being indicated by line 33, in Fig. 2.

I Fig. 4, shows a'vertical sectional view of the same. theplane of thesection being indi- Fig. 5, is an enlarged detailview of the automaticclutch, in vertical section on a line 55, in Fig. 3. b Fig. '6, is. anenlarged detail view of the automatic clutch device andjpart of theadjacent gearing, the viewbeing in vertical 7 The objects ofsection on aplane. at right-angles to that of V Fig.

Fig. 7, is an enlarged sectional view of the device for closing themouth of the dustcpllecting bag, the. plane of the section beingindicated by the line 77, in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a closed casing having aremovable top 2, and

within which is housed gearing which is intermediate between thesustaining or ground wheels 3, 3, and the suction fan 4, which ismounted in a suction compartment 5, located at the forwardend of saidcasing.

The supporting or. ground wheels 3, 3, are made'fast to a transverseshaft 6, to which is secured a pawl-carrier 7, having a pawl 8, pivotedthereto and engaging the teeth of a a ratchet wheel 9 which is looseonsaid shaft 6, and is attached to a beveled-gear 1.0, also loose on saidshaft. The gear 10,

meshes with'a bevel-pinion 11, secured to a shaft 12, on which is fixeda large gear wheel 13, which drives. a pinion 14, secured to the shaft15, the respective ends of which are mounted to turn in ball-bearings 16and 17, toegi ve a smooth action to its rotation, The motion of theshaft15, is then transmitted to a gear wheel 18, fixed thereon and thegear 18, meshes with and drives a, smaller gear 19, which is integralwith a tubular extension or hollow shaft 20, turning loosely on. theshaft. 21, which is connected with and drives thefan4, the shaft 21,having a ball bearing 22. 7 r

'1he hollow shaft 20, forms part of the automatic clutch device forconnecting and disconnecting the. train of gears just described with thesaid fan 4. This clutch device comprises-a one way driving connectionserving to positively turn the shaft and connected fan 4, 1 inclock-wise direction. The innerend ofthe tubular part 20, is providedwith a member having peripheral cam surfaces or teeth 23, over whichtravel back and forth cam rollers or plugs 24, which are held againstthe cam surfaces by the wall of the cup or casing 25, which is securedby pin 26, to the shaft 21. A cover plate 27, is removably placed overthe open end of the cup to exclude the dirt. This oneway clutch acts to.drive the shaft 21, in clock-wise direction, as per the arrow in Fig. 5,whenever the ground wheels 3, 3, are moved forward, by virtue of the camsurfaces 23, wedging the rollers 24, againstthe: wall of the casinp; Q5.and clutching; the latter as to turn it and tl'icreh v drire shaitillyin the direc tion stated. As soon, honevcr. as the ,saroiiud-whcel:-: come to rest or are reversed in their movenienh Forexample when the cleaner is drawn haclrwardtv by hand. the rain rollersare un-wed jed and rliscngit ml so an to disconnect the clutch from thefanshatt ill. and the tan cancontinue its-tor ward rotation under themomentum which it hasacquired when driven under positive forwardmovement oil the connection. The disconnecting of the drivingconnections by the one-way acting clutch means is one of? the importantFeatures of nrv invention and particularly when this action isassociated with that: ol the one-way drire connection of the pawl andratchet 8 and t), of the ground-wheel shaft (3. "Jlhese oneay acting;devices permit all of the nearing between the two to remain at rest,whenever the ground-wheels are reversed in their motion or come to rest.

The suction creating fan 4:, is provided with an iinpei'itorate backplate 28. which in addition to concentrating the action of the fan atits peripheral part, also has the eiiiect ot ai tlynvlleel the momentumof which acts to keep the fan spinning in its forward motion after thepositive driving force has been out an: by the opening of the one-wayclutch. The hallhearing 22, of theian shat't E21 lltElJS to n'olong' thefree running l o c of the tan, after it has been disconnected in themanner stated.

"the suction fan l, is housed by itself in the for *ardly arrangedsuction-compartmeat 39. which isdotachahly connected by screws 30 to thefront end oi the casing 1. 'lothe front oi the i an compartment housinn5. is secured the inlet or suctioni'iozzlc 31, which opens at 32,directly into the suction chamber. The inlet nozzle is provided in whichisdisposod and facilitate its removal by the suction of the tan. Theends of tho brnshshaft carry gltllllltjlJYllGelS A l for driving theshalt.

A dirt dischargenine or passage 35, leads :tmni anoint on theporiphoryof tho cylindrical l'an housing ii, and tangentially thereof. and to itsouter end is ronrovaliily connected the dirt receiving ha; 36, theupnerond of which is n'ovidcd with a detachal lc closure comprising! theoutwardly overturned ends 3T. 37. which areseainod and form externalridges at the mouth or the ling a L -slnnicd.wire lllQHlbQl 38, which isslid on and oil of the end of the bag beneath said raised parts 37, soas to grip the sides of theiniouth together, and a sliding clamp 39,U-shaped in cross-section Witlrthe' ends" hold the wire staple oruiernlieri tl. Alli connects the metal clamp ll-hdl'ltl'i the of itsnien'ihers turned inwardly at 10 to A. chain handle slat. oi themachine. the lower end of the handleheinn secured hy thread to aswinging bracket or vol c l3 pivoted to tho car-ding l, of theapparatus.

in the operation oi the rnachinc it. is purlirrl by hand over thesurface to he cleaned and this forward movement turns the ground orsustaining wheels forwardly, as iinlicated hr the adjacent arrow inFig. 1. "this movement acts to drive the nearing which multiplies thespeed oi the action and t'l'arornsh "the t'ltlt't'll on t'hc"l'an-nhaft;f3! actuatcs the auction tan at a ooiuparativolv high speed which actioncreates the desired sue t cn at the mouth of thenozzlo and (hereby drawsin the dirt through thdnozisle, past. the fan and into the dirtretaining bag, from where it may he removed hyhand from time to time.

I have found that: the construction and arrangement ot the cleaner asherewithshown provides a very eliiciont machine and that the suction-fanwill. run. for a. considerable time and rn-odncc a substantial suction,after the speed-1nultipl;ving nearing llflSllGGI1(l.lS connected uponthe coming to rest of the round-rvheois or the reversal of the same.

'ihis cnahlos the user to clean places nearthe wall or an obstructionwhich will prevent the forward movement; of the niachine. It will henoted that the casing 1,, is closed upon all sides and that thesuction-chamber located forwardly thereof is a sermratennd distinctstructure which may he removed atrom the nniin-casin;;'. The top of thecasing l, is arched and is dctacliahlo in order to give access to thogearing within wlronovor"dosired. Each side o'lthc a relied cover Erupontheintorior is provided"with a lug: d-tt',

over which snapsthe hent ond'of arcsiliont strip of niot'al 4:5,sccurodupon the wall of the lower part oi the casing. This spring"acting}; catch may he o icncdhy inserting a blade between the edge oithecover where it meets the casing and forcing the spring 45, inwardly outof einl'aie'oinent with itslug l4, as willhc understood from Fig. 3.

lilavin r tlius descrihed invinvcntioin what ICltlllll and desire tosecurehy Letters Patcat is:

ljln a atiotiou-cleain-r oi. the class doscribed, a drivinn n'iechanismhousing. an axle mounted in said housing" and having groiznrhwheclasecured thoroto toi' dri viin it,

a ononvirv clutch on eaidaxtora hovel-gear loose on said axle andconneotoi'l"with and actuated by said clutch. a short'shatlt at rightanlnles to said axle and provided with a small bevel-gear moshing withsaidhovol-gear on the a xlqspoed-nniltiplying gearing coinprising ahirgijo geanwheel Fixed on said shortshaft and a counter-shaft parallelwithcsaid clutch on said fan-shaft serving to drive the 1 short-shaftand provided with a small gearwheel meshing with the large gear-wheel onsaid short-shaft, a second gear-wheel on said counter-shaft larger thanthe first-mentioned one, a short fan-shaft parallel with saidcounter-shaft and provided with a small gear-wheel driven by said secondgear-wheel on said counter-shaft, a one-Way acting fan in one direction,said small gear-wheel on said fan-shaft being located between the fanand the one-way clutch thereon, a fan housing mounted on the forward endof said driving-mechanism housing, the said fan shaft extending intosaid fan housing, afan on said shaft in the fan housingiand said fanhousing being'provided with an intake and an outlet, said outlet beingadapted to be connected with a dirt collector.

2. In a suction cleaner of the class described, an elongated housing forhousing the fan-driving mechanism, a pair of supporting and mechanismdriving wheels mounted at the rear end of sald housing, a fan casingmounted beyond and on the forward end of said housing, a suction nozzlemounted on the fan casing immediatelyadjacent the forward and lowerextremities thereof, said nozzle terminating in rounded edges adapted toengage the surfacebeing cleaned and forming with said wheels at the rearof the housing the entire support of the apparatus on the engagedsurface, and a handle member mounted to pivotally engage the oppositesides of the housing at points adjacent the forward end of the housingand a substantial distance forward of the driving Wheels, whereby topress the rounded edges of the nozzle mouth into close engagement withthe surface to be cleaned.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

PASQUALE DADDIO.

